


To Breathe Again, To Start Again

by Kufikiria



Category: NCIS
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, F/M, Family Reunions, Fluff, Happy Ending, Romance, Season/Series 17, Short One Shot, Tiva Reunion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-08
Updated: 2020-01-08
Packaged: 2021-02-27 07:54:03
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 997
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22173619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kufikiria/pseuds/Kufikiria
Summary: 17x11 Canon divergence, in which Tony and Tali appear in the bullpen after the elevator dings — not Gibbs.
Relationships: Ziva David/Anthony DiNozzo
Comments: 14
Kudos: 126





	To Breathe Again, To Start Again

**Author's Note:**

> Because this is how things should have ended. I still haven’t written Tiva fanfics in a while and this is just because I needed to let go of my feels after last night’s episode so yeah let’s hope it’s not too bad lol.

Her step is lighter than it’s been in years as Ziva follows Jimmy towards the elevator. She can feel a small weight on her chest from having had to say goodbye to the team, but it’s nothing she can’t handle — she knows this time, it’s not a farewell. She knows they’re gonna keep in touch; they’re gonna see each other again sooner or later. The door will always remain open.

And, most importantly, she knows what she’s leaving them for. She’s going to reunite with Tony and Tali — her _family_. Nothing’s coming in their way now.

The thought of it might have made her panic for a moment, and she would lie if she’d say her heart isn’t pounding in her chest right now while she imagines how things will go down between them, but ever since she’s seen that video of her daughter she feels a lot more at peace. She wants to hold her close and be able to reciprocate her _I love you_ in person. She’s finally ready to get her fresh start.

She’s so lost in her thoughts that she barely hears the ding of the elevator; barely registers how someone is coming into the bullpen. It’s only when she suddenly hears _her_ voice, of all voices, that she freezes in her tracks.

Her heart stops for a second at the sound of it.

Could she be hallucinating again?!

“ _IMA!”_ Ziva doesn’t have the time to process anything that a little girl is already throwing herself at her. On instinct, she bends down to catch her while Tali wraps her small — yet so big, compared to the last time she saw her from this close — arms around her mother’s body. Despite the utter surprise of seeing her here and the feeling of being take off-guard, Ziva tightens their embrace.

It takes her a beat to fully understand what is happening but once she does, she buries her head in the crook of Tali’s neck for a second, heart now beating faster than ever in her chest. She takes deep breaths as Tali’s hands grip at her coat in her back. The physical contact between them grounds Ziva and, with every new breath she takes, breathing in her daughter’s sent, she feels like she’s truly breathing for the first time in years.

Of course, she can’t help but notice how big Tali seems to be inside her arms now — how different, yet how familiar too, this hug between them feels.

It’s still _home_ , though. She’s come home.

Or rather, apparently, home has come to her.

When she eventually draws away from her little girl and looks up after studying her for a little while, Ziva sees that Tali isn’t alone. Standing next to Jimmy — only _a few feet away from her_ — is Tony, beaming at the sight this mother-daughter reunion must offer. His gaze pierces right through her core when their eyes meet, making her heart tighten in her chest again.

She smiles back at him.

“Wh—…” Her eyes dart towards Tali for a second before she brings them back onto Tony. She still has a hard time believing this is really happening and she’s not imagining things. “Why are you here?” she asks in a low, soft voice, full of awe and emotion and surprise. Although should she be surprised, after all these years, that once again Tony DiNozzo found her?!

His beam grows even bigger. “We couldn’t wait,” he whispers.

His words hit her hard; overwhelming her.

Tony then gets closer to the pair as Ziva stands up, wrapping his arms around her body once he’s right in front of her. She can feel her shoulders relax with the touch and one of her demons disappear as a few tears roll down her cheek.

_He will have her back._

They stay like this for a while, completely oblivious to the people around them while making the most of the moment until Tony eventually draws away. Ziva takes this opportunity to take a deeper look at him, at how he’s changed over the years and the traits that remained the same. There’s this new spark shining inside his eyes — one that wasn’t there the last time she saw him, back in Cairo.

He, too, seems more at peace now that all of this is over.

“Sorry I didn’t answer your texts right away.” Ever-so gently, he washes the tears away from her face with his thumb. “We were on a plane.”

He shoots her a playful, knowing smile. God, she missed this smile.

She _loves_ this smile.

“I—…” Ziva doesn’t quite know what to say in return. This is so overwhelming. A few hours ago she was scared Tony wouldn’t have her back in his life and now here he is, having come back to her. “I love you,” she eventually settles for the one sentence that keeps repeating inside her mind and lets out a sigh of relief. It feels so good to be able to say it without any threat or future separation weighing on them. “Both of you.” She tears her gaze away from him to look down at Tali with a small beam as she takes the girl’s hand in hers, holding on tight.

Physically touching them helps her realize this is not just a too good dream.

Tony’s smile turns into a grin. “We love you too.” He then brings her closer to him once again, to plant a tender kiss on her lips this time.

Tears of emotion have made their way back down her cheeks when they part. Their foreheads resting against one another as they don’t seem willing to let go just yet, and Ziva can’t help but feel like _this_ is coming full circle — to reunite with the love of her life and the product of this love right where everything started between them.

_(“I was just...”_

“ _Having phone sex?”)_

Now they can get a fresh start. At a happier life. As a _family_.


End file.
